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Cognitive Training and Enrichment Modulates Neural Plasticity and Enhances Cognitive Reserve in Aging Rats
JenishaChris Stephen, Ronyson Kharkongor, UlfathTasneem Khan, Muniraj Kathirvel, Rameshkumar Radhakrishnan. Experimental Aging Research, 2025-03-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The Ct group and Ct+ee group performed significantly better than the control group in behavioural tasks and had improved dendrite profiles of DG and basal tree of CA1 region of hippocampus. The Ct+ee group had increased dendrite length, arborization, and spine density in CA1, CA3 and DG neurons. Ct and Ct+ee groups showed increased expression of synaptophysin, PSD95 and BDNF and decreased p53 and p-tau levels in the hippocampus. Cognitive training modules targeting specific mnemonic functions and enriched environment with diverse cognitive stimulators had a comprehensive effect on the neuronal health augmenting the impoverished cognitive reserve in aging rats.
Key findings
- The Ct group and Ct+ee group performed significantly better than the control group in behavioural tasks and had improved dendrite profiles of DG and basal tree of CA1 region of hippocampus.
- The Ct+ee group had increased dendrite length, arborization, and spine density in CA1, CA3 and DG neurons.
- Ct and Ct+ee groups showed increased expression of synaptophysin, PSD95 and BDNF and decreased p53 and p-tau levels in the hippocampus.
- Cognitive training modules targeting specific mnemonic functions and enriched environment with diverse cognitive stimulators had a comprehensive effect on the neuronal health augmenting the impoverished cognitive reserve in aging rats.
Why it matters
In this study with aging rats, cognitive training and enriched environment improved behavioral task performance and neuronal health in the hippocampus. These are animal findings and cannot be directly applied to treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease in people.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 28/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 27 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 28 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Experimental Aging Research) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Experimental Aging Research: journal h-index 85 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “rats”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Rameshkumar Radhakrishnan holds only 9 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Madras: institution h-index 253 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40116649) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 27 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 27 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 28 out of 100. |
| Total | 28 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Stephen, J., Kharkongor, R., Khan, U., Kathirvel, M., & Radhakrishnan, R. (2025). Cognitive Training and Enrichment Modulates Neural Plasticity and Enhances Cognitive Reserve in Aging Rats. Experimental Aging Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/0361073x.2025.2476331
Vancouver
Stephen J, Kharkongor R, Khan U, Kathirvel M, Radhakrishnan R. Cognitive Training and Enrichment Modulates Neural Plasticity and Enhances Cognitive Reserve in Aging Rats. Experimental Aging Research. 2025. doi:10.1080/0361073x.2025.2476331. PMID: 40116649.
BibTeX
@article{stephen2025-40116649,
author = {Stephen, JenishaChris and Kharkongor, Ronyson and Khan, UlfathTasneem and Kathirvel, Muniraj and Radhakrishnan, Rameshkumar},
title = {{Cognitive Training and Enrichment Modulates Neural Plasticity and Enhances Cognitive Reserve in Aging Rats}},
journal = {Experimental Aging Research},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1080/0361073x.2025.2476331},
pmid = {40116649},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/0361073x.2025.2476331}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.